Madrid
October 1992 saw me visiting Spain for the second time - my destination was the capital, Madrid. They do say "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain"...well Madrid is on a plateau - it is in fact the highest capital city in Europe - and it did rain a lot while I was there, so maybe the saying is pretty accurate! Perhaps I should have visited at a different time of year...however, it is a grand city, worthy of a capital - and purpose-built too. Back in the th century Madrid was only a small town, but was chosen by King Phillip V as the site for his capital city, so in European terms it's a pretty modern place!
Click on the pictures for the full size photos.
Art everywhere....from statues in a quiet square to the huge exhibition of classic art in the Prado, which has the world's greatest collection of Spanish art.
There are over 100 rooms to this vast building, but they are filled with many works of art, and the three great Spanish artists Goya, El Greco and Velasquez are well represented, along with a fair selection of Flemish and Italian masters. I spent a good couple of hours there, but you really need longer - and probably more than one visit as less than half of the collection is ever on view at any given time.
Two ancient squares...the Plaza de la Villa and the Plaza Mayor. The Plaza de la Villa is at the western end of the Calle Mayor in the older part of the city; here you can find 16th and 17th century buildings of varying style alongside each other.
Further along the Calle Mayor to the east is the Plaza Mayor, a fine example of well-balanced architecture from the early 17th century. The broad arcades surround a large cobbled rectangle, which is used for festivals and other events. Sitting at one of the open-air cafés in the square it's difficult to imagine that it was until quite recently the scene of not only pageants and bullfights, but also executions!
The city by night - the statue of Don Quixote, commemorating the writer Miguel de Cervantes, is on Plaza de Espana. This huge square is graced by trees and fountains, and provides welcome relief from the busy streets of the city.
Speaking of busy streets - this is the Gran Via - a very fine street lined with hotels, shops, theatres, cafés...it's a great place to wander around and take in the bustling atmosphere, but beware the traffic! It's like perpetual rush-hour here!
Water everywhere...from the lake in Retiro Park, where Madrilos flock to at the weekends, to the impressive 'waterfall' in Plaza Colon.
The artificial lake at the park's centre is watched over by Alfonso XII's massive mausoleum and the sphinx-laden Egyptian Fountain. You can hire a boat on the lake, or just wander round taking in the sights such as the buskers and tarot card readers. A walk through the beautiful rose garden - La Rosaleda - is recommended. A good way to escape the pressures of sightseeing for a while! I think Plaza Colon is where the bus dropped me when I first arrived; after staring round myself in a rather bemused fashion, I was eventually able to find my bearings and also my hotel!
I was under the impression that this was the Basilica de San Isidro, but perhaps time has affected my memory as I now believe this is not so. Can anyone help?
This of course, I do know; the Royal Palace, a huge place, and stands proudly on Calle de Bailén, in the Plaza de Oriente. It is set amongst formal gardens on a bluff overlooking the Manzanares Valley. Built in French style, it replaced an old Moorish fortress - Alcázar - that burned down in 1734.
These two photos show the ornate interiors of the Royal Palace. There is one lavish room after another, perhaps too much grandeur to take in all at once. Ornate ceilings, tapestries, panelled and painted walls..
The organised tour of the palace takes about an hour, but is well worth it. In fact, you only cover a fraction of the palace, around 50 rooms - there are some 2800 rooms in all!
Back to Spain
